Knitted structure and manufacturing method thereof

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides for a knitted structure, comprising a base material and a fused knitted part. The fused knitted part comprising a first fiber, wherein the first fiber extends in a loop form through the base material to bond to the base material, and at least a portion of the first fiber is fused and bonded to a fiber portion.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a knitted structure and amanufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a knittedstructure which can be utilized for manufacturing shoes, and a methodfor manufacturing the knitted structure.

2. Description of the Related Art

“Knit shoes” are currently popular in the market. An upper of these knitshoes may be formed entirely by a single fiber through knitting. Suchknitted upper has the advantages of softness and good stretchability,but its strength is relatively low. Hence, the knitted upper deformseasily. Besides, it is difficult to form a large scale three-dimensionalstructure on the surface of the knitted upper.

In addition, the strength and elasticity of such knitted upper aregenerally distributed uniformly. That is, it is difficult to providesupporting and locking effects at specific locations of the knittedupper. If the supporting and locking effects at specific locations arenecessary, the material of the fiber at these locations must be changed,or the weaving process must be repeated at these locations to thickenportions of the upper at the specific locations. However, the supportingand locking effects achieved by the aforementioned methods still cannotmeet the needs of high-intensity exercise.

SUMMARY

Hence, the present disclosure provides for a knitted structure, of whichthe distribution of strength and elasticity can be precisely adjusted.

The present disclosure provides for a knitted structure, comprising abase material and a fused knitted part. The fused knitted partcomprising a first fiber, wherein the first fiber extends in a loop formthrough the base material to bond to the base material, and at least aportion of the first fiber is fused and bonded to a fiber portion.

The present disclosure further provides for a method for manufacturingthe aforementioned knitted structure, comprising: (a) providing the basematerial; (b) providing the first fiber, and forming the first fiber inthe loop form extending through the base material to bond to the basematerial; and (c) heating the first fiber, such that the portion of thefirst fiber is fused and bonded to form the fused knitted part.

The present disclosure further provides for a shoe structure comprisingthe aforementioned knitted structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure provides for knitted structure, comprising:

a base material; and

a fused knitted part comprising a first fiber, wherein the first fiberextends in a loop form through the base material to bond to the basematerial, and at least a portion of the first fiber is fused and bondedto a fiber portion.

For example, the knitted structure of the present disclosure can beclothing, shoes, hats, accessories, etc., or its raw materials orsemi-finished products. Alternatively, the knitted structure may be acraft, or may be used for other purposes, which is not limited in thepresent disclosure. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, theknitted structure may be a part of a shoe structure, such as an entireupper, or a portion of an upper of the shoe structure.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the base material can be anykind of fabric, such as a woven fabric (or interlaced fabric), or anon-woven fabric. Furthermore, the base material may be a substantiallycontinuous film, such as a plastic film. In an embodiment, the basematerial may be a woven fabric to provide better structural strength anddimensional stability. For example, the base material may include aninterlaced second fiber. Preferably, the interlaced second fibers aremade of at least one material selected from the group consisting ofpolyamidoamine, polyparaphenylene terephthalamide, polyolefin,polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET),polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT),polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and mixtures thereof.

Hereinafter in the present disclosure, the “fiber” has a length greaterthan a thousand times a width thereof. Preferably, the interlaced secondfiber is a filament fiber (or so-called filament), which is a fiber witha continuous length. For example, a length-to-width ratio of thefilament fiber is greater than 10⁸.

Hereinafter in the present disclosure, the term “interlacing/interlaced”may refer to interlacing one or more fibers in a weaving, knitting,crocheting, or braiding manner, by hand or by using a machine. Forexample, the fibers may be interlaced by forming warp and weft yarnswhich alternatively cross each other. Alternatively, the fibers may formone or more yarns, and the yarn(s) may form loops which are continuouslystacked and entangled with each other.

In the knitted structure of the present disclosure, the fused knittedpart bonds to the base material and includes the first fiber. The firstfiber is preferably a filament fiber. The first fiber may be athermoplastic fiber, such that the first fiber can be easily fused andbonded to the fiber portion. The “thermoplastic fiber” may refer to afiber including a thermoplastic material or made of the thermoplasticmaterial. The thermoplastic material is exposed on a surface of thethermoplastic fiber, such that the thermoplastic fiber can be fused byheat and/or pressure.

Preferably, a material of the first fiber includes thermoplasticelastomer, which may include, but is not limited to, thermoplasticpolyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) orthermoplastic polyolefin (TPO). The TPU, for example, includespolyester-based TPUs, which are mainly derived from adipic acid esters;and polyether-based TPUs, which are mainly based on tetrahydrofuranethers. The TPEE, for example, includes polyethylene terephthalate (PET)and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). The TPO, for example, includespolyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

The first fiber extends in a loop form through the base material to bondto the base material. For example, the base material may includeopposite first and second surfaces. The first fiber may extend throughthe first and second surfaces of the base material in an embroidery-likemanner, thus the first fiber can bond to the base material. As such, thefirst fiber may form patterns on the first surface of the base material.In some embodiments, the first fiber may also form patterns on thesecond surface of the base material. In addition, in some embodiments,the knitted structure may further include an auxiliary fiber for fixingthe position of the first fiber. A material of the auxiliary fiber maybe the same as or different from a material of the first fiber. Forexample, the first fiber may be substantially located on the firstsurface of the base material, and the auxiliary fiber may besubstantially located on the second surface of the base material. Theauxiliary fiber may be tangled with the first fiber, so as to fix theposition of the first fiber.

In the fused knitted part, at least a portion of the first fiber isfused and bonded to a fiber portion. The term “fuse/fused” may refer toa portion of the first fiber which is melted by heat (or by heat andpressure), and is partially attached to and/or covers a fiber portion,thus is bonded to or joined with the fiber portion after cooling. It isnoteworthy that the term “fuse/fused” does not require that the fiberportion also be melted by heat and/or pressure. For example, said “atleast a portion of the first fiber is fused and bonded to a fiberportion” may refer to both the portion of the first fiber and the fiberportion are melted and thus are bonded or joined together; or may referto only the portion of the first fiber is melted to attach to and/orcover the fiber portion which is not melted, thus the portion of thefirst fiber is bonded to the fiber portion.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fiber portion may beanother portion of the first fiber. In other words, the fiber portionfused with the portion of the first fiber is also located at the firstfiber. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the fiber portion may be aportion of another fiber, such as a portion of the interlaced secondfiber or a portion of the aforementioned auxiliary fiber.

In the knitted structure of the present disclosure, since the firstfiber forms the fused knitted part on the base material, distribution ofstrength and elasticity of the knitted structure may be adjusted byarranging the position of the fused knitted part. Hence, differentpositions of the knitted structure can be provided with differentstrength and elasticity, thus the applicability of the knitted structurecan be improved. For example, the knitted structure can be used as anupper of shoes. Due to the arrangement of the fused knitted part, thestrength and elasticity at instep and ankle can be adjusted separatelyto achieve the effects of supporting and locking.

Besides, relative positions of the portion of the first fiber and thefiber portion can be fixed since they are fused and bonded together.Hence, the elasticity of the knitted structure can be decreased at thefused position, and the structural strength can be increased. That is,by adjusting fusing condition of the knitted part (e.g., fusing ratio ateach position), the distribution of strength and elasticity of theknitted structured can be further refined. Hence, the distribution ofstrength and elasticity can be precisely adjusted, thus providingfavorable supporting and locking effects.

In an embodiments, the fused knitted part can be formed by heating (orheating and pressing) the portion of the first fiber (and the fiberportion). During such process, a release paper having a specificthree-dimensional pattern may be stacked on the fused knitted part, sothat the pattern of the release paper can be transferred to the surfaceof the fused knitted part. Hence, the fused knitted part can have aspecial three-dimensional pattern, and special color and visual effects.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fused knitted part mayfurther include a fused region and a non-fused region. That is, thefirst fiber may extend through the fused region and the non-fusedregion. The first fiber may be fused and bonded to the fiber portion inthe fused region, and may be not fused in the non-fused region. Byarranging positions of the fused region and the non-fused region, apattern may be formed in the fused knitted part, and the strength andelasticity may be adjusted in each region.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fused knitted part maycover the entire base material, or may cover only a portion of the basematerial. Alternatively, the knitted structure may include a pluralityof the fused knitted parts each covering a portion of the base material.These fused knitted parts may respectively include fibers with differentmaterials or properties, and the fused ratio and range may be differentamong them.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first fiber may be asingle-component fiber. That is, the first fiber is merely made of thethermoplastic material. Alternatively, the first fiber may be amulti-component fiber, such as including a first component and a secondcomponent. The first component may be the aforementioned thermoplasticmaterial, and the second component may be another fiber material whichis not thermoplastic. For example, the first fiber may be a sheath-corecomposite fiber, a side-by-side composite fiber or a segmented-piecomposite fiber, etc., which is not limited in the present disclosure.

The knitted structure of the present disclosure may further include anauxiliary layer which is disposed on a surface of the base material. Thefirst fiber extends in the loop form through the base material and theauxiliary layer to bond at least a portion of the auxiliary layer to thebase material. For example, the auxiliary layer may be disposed on thefirst surface of the base material, and the first fiber may cover atleast a portion of the auxiliary layer. For example, the auxiliary layermay be a stabilizer or lining for embroidery. The first fiber maycompletely cover the auxiliary layer. Therefore, the auxiliary layer mayhardly be seen from the first surface of the substrate. Alternatively,the first fiber may be bonded to the base material in a manner similarto applique embroidery. That is, the first fiber may only cover andextend through a peripheral region of the auxiliary layer, while thecentral region of the auxiliary layer is not covered.

With the use of the auxiliary layer, the structural strength andthickness of the covered area thereof can be further adjusted, and thefused knitted part can be significantly protrude from the surface of thebase material, thus increasing the three-dimensional impression of theknitted structure. In addition, the material of the auxiliary layer maybe different from the material of the base material, which may provideair blocking, abrasion resistance, supporting, and locking effects. Theauxiliary layer may prevent the first fiber from sliding duringformation of the fused knitted part, thus improving positioning accuracyof the fused knitted part. In addition, in another embodiment, theauxiliary layer may be disposed on the second surface of the basematerial, without being exposed on the first surface of the basematerial.

The knitted structure of the present disclosure may further include acushion layer disposed between the base material and the auxiliarylayer. For example, the cushion layer may be disposed on the firstsurface of the base material, and the auxiliary layer may be disposed onand cover the cushion layer. A size of the auxiliary layer may begenerally larger than a size of the cushion layer. As described above,the first fiber may only cover the peripheral region of the auxiliarylayer, while the central region of the auxiliary layer is not covered.The cushion layer may be disposed at the central region of the auxiliarylayer, such that the first fiber may not extend through the cushionlayer. In an embodiment, the cushion layer may be a rigid material, sothat the knitted structure of the present disclosure may be providedwith the functions of preventing collision and impact. In anotherembodiment, the cushion layer may be a soft and elastic material, thusproviding favorable cushioning effect and thick feel of the knittedstructure.

In an embodiment, the knitted structure of the present disclosure mayfurther include a cover layer covering the fused knitted part and bondedto the fused knitted part. That is, the cover layer may be bonded to thebase material by the fused knitted part. A material of the cover layermay be different from the material of the base material, thus providingthe knitted structure with various surface properties.

The present disclosure further provides for a method for manufacturingthe aforementioned knitted structure, comprising:

(a) providing the base material;

(b) providing the first fiber, and forming the first fiber in the loopform extending through the base material to bond to the base material;and

(c) heating the first fiber, such that the portion of the first fiber isfused and bonded to form the fused knitted part.

In step (a), the base material may be the same as that described above,such as including the interlaced second fiber. In step (b), with the aidof, for example, a plateless digital design, the first fiber may extendthrough specific positions of the base material in an embroidery-likemanner, so as to form a pattern at the specific positions on the surfaceof the base material.

Then, in step (c), the first fiber may be heated and pressedsimultaneously. A release paper may be stacked on the fused knittedpart, so as to transfer a surface pattern of the release paper to thefused knitted part in step (c). In an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the heating temperature and/or the pressing pressure may beadjusted in step (c), such that the fusing condition of the fusedknitted part may be adjusted, and the strength and elasticity of thefused knitted part may thus be adjusted. Besides, the heating and/orpressing area can be adjusted, thus the fused knitted part may havedifferent properties among different regions thereof.

The present disclosure further provides for a shoe structure comprisingthe aforementioned knitted structure. For example, the knitted structuremay be an entire upper, or a portion of an upper of the shoe structure.That is, the knitted structure can be combined with the sole and othercomponents to form the shoe structure.

While the present disclosure has been described and illustrated withreference to specific embodiments thereof, these descriptions andillustrations are not limiting. It should be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted without departing from the true spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The illustrationsmay not be necessarily drawn to scale. There may be distinctions betweenthe artistic renditions in the present disclosure and the actualapparatus due to manufacturing processes and tolerances. There may beother embodiments of the present disclosure which are not specificallyillustrated. The specification and drawings are to be regarded asillustrative rather than restrictive. Modifications may be made to adapta particular situation, material, composition of matter, method, orprocess to the objective, spirit and scope of the present disclosure.All such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claimsappended hereto. While the methods disclosed herein have been describedwith reference to particular operations performed in a particular order,it will be understood that these operations may be combined,sub-divided, or re-ordered to form an equivalent method withoutdeparting from the teachings of the present disclosure. Accordingly,unless specifically indicated herein, the order and grouping of theoperations are not limitations of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A knitted structure, comprising: a base material;and a fused knitted part comprising a first fiber, wherein the firstfiber extends in a loop form through the base material to bond to thebase material, and at least a portion of the first fiber is fused andbonded to a fiber portion.
 2. The knitted structure of claim 1, whereinthe base material comprises an interlaced second fiber.
 3. The knittedstructure of claim 1, wherein a material of the first fiber includesthermoplastic elastomer.
 4. The knitted structure of claim 1, whereinthe first fiber is a sheath-core composite fiber, a side-by-sidecomposite fiber or a segmented-pie composite fiber.
 5. The knittedstructure of claim 1, wherein the first fiber includes a first componentand a second component, the first component is fused, and the secondcomponent is not fused.
 6. The knitted structure of claim 1, wherein thefiber portion fused with the portion of the first fiber is anotherportion of the first fiber.
 7. The knitted structure of claim 1, furthercomprising an auxiliary layer disposed on a surface of the basematerial, the first fiber extends in the loop form through the basematerial and the auxiliary layer to bond at least a portion of theauxiliary layer to the base material.
 8. The knitted structure of claim7, further comprising a cushion layer disposed between the base materialand the auxiliary layer.
 9. The knitted structure of claim 1, furthercomprising a cover layer covering the fused knitted part and bonded tothe fused knitted part.
 10. A method for manufacturing the knittedstructure of claim 1, comprising: (a) providing the base material; (b)providing the first fiber, and forming the first fiber in the loop formextending through the base material to bond to the base material; and(c) heating the first fiber, such that the portion of the first fiber isfused and bonded to form the fused knitted part.
 11. A shoe structurecomprising the knitted structure of claim
 1. 12. The shoe structure ofclaim 11, wherein the base material comprises an interlaced secondfiber.
 13. The shoe structure of claim 11, wherein a material of thefirst fiber includes thermoplastic elastomer.
 14. The shoe structure ofclaim 11, wherein the first fiber is a sheath-core composite fiber, aside-by-side composite fiber or a segmented-pie composite fiber.
 15. Theshoe structure of claim 11, wherein the first fiber includes a firstcomponent and a second component, the first component is fused, and thesecond component is not fused.
 16. The shoe structure e of claim 11,wherein the fiber portion fused with the portion of the first fiber isanother portion of the first fiber.
 17. The shoe structure of claim 11,further comprising an auxiliary layer disposed on a surface of the basematerial, the first fiber extends in the loop form through the basematerial and the auxiliary layer to bond at least a portion of theauxiliary layer to the base material.
 18. The shoe structure e of claim17, further comprising a cushion layer disposed between the basematerial and the auxiliary layer.
 19. The shoe structure of claim 11,further comprising a cover layer covering the fused knitted part andbonded to the fused knitted part.